Heart & Soul Blog

Traveling confirms the notion that there aren’t enough hours in a day. Without warning, minutes simply turn into blips of colors, scents and emotions. Memories are the only telling signs of past adventures and photos sit on social media profiles, only to keep a page exciting.

As you can probably tell, post-vacation depression is real. One comes home to their typical routine, expecting the same exhilaration as abroad, only to be slapped with a mundane sense of reality. I was able to beautifully experience this depression after a week abroad in arguably the most cultured continent in the world: Europe. My best friend from high school and I (side note: this is unbeatably the best way to reconnect with someone after 2 years) explored 4 breathtaking cities within a week. Are you calling us crazy yet? Don’t worry, we know we are.

From Venice to Milan, Amsterdam to London, every corner we encountered jerked massive happy tears from our eyes. Now, having been born and raised in Southern California, we are not used to being around such beautiful structures. Ask any native Californian, statues aging past 6 centuries old will look beautiful to a pair of eyes raised in Los Angeles. Europe has proven to change people. A romantic may see simple Italian street art and compare the work to Picasso. A food critic may take a sip of espresso and realize that Starbucks is shit. And finally, a linguist may hear Danish and realize that they’re happy they payed attention to their core German classes as a kid. The realization of beauty in traveling is worth any plane ticket.

Milano Street Art

With about a day and a half each city, we committed to sleeping as little as possible. Running around a foreign country on low sleep and a high intake of caffeine is the way to do it: heightened senses, rampant emotions and intense cravings are key travel accessories. We somehow managed to prioritize our sights, with no extensive planning, and see everything on our wish lists. Impromptu up at 6 am, partying with locals until midnight and then doing it all over again is the perfect itinerary. My fondest memories will undoubtedly include blistered feet, drenched scarves and tears unleashed by pure happiness.

Today on this Thrilling Tuesday, what adventure are you looking to create? Where will your next adventure take you?